I started by just sitting by the chessboard exploring things. I didn't even have books at first, and I just played by myself. I learnt a lot from that, and I feel that it is a big reason why I now have a good intuitive understanding of chess.

I've never really had a favorite player, past or present.

If you want to get to the top, there's always the risk that it will isolate you from other people.

I don't consider myself a particularly young chess player. I have been playing in the best tournaments in the world since I was 16 years old. In other sports, if you have been playing for seven years, you are not a young prodigy any more. You're one of the pros.

I spend hours playing chess because I find it so much fun. The day it stops being fun is the day I give up.

Kids love games and chess is a game where you have to sit down and concentrate and it just helps in every way.

In my experience, when I went to school, and especially in after-school, and during breaks, a lot of people wanted to sit down and play chess up till a certain age when it was not supposed to be cool anymore and people wanted to do other things.